Attachments
27 Feb 2026
Former residents joined local ward councillors Alison Carpenter and Helen Price this week to watch the first of the old existing tower blocks at Sawyers Close, Winwood, being demolished floor by floor.
Built in the mid 1960's, Winwood, along with the other three tower blocks – Broadleys, Grasmere and Hale, is being brought down to make way for the redevelopment 'The Granges'.
The tower blocks, which comprise192 flats, are no longer fit for purpose. Housing provider Abri is replacing them with 413 brand new, high quality and sustainable affordable homes to serve the local community in Dedworth, Windsor.
Former residents watched as The Hill Group, Abri's construction partner on The Granges, continued to bring down the tower block. The block is being crunched down floor by floor by an 'Ultra High Reach Demolition Excavator' and is expected to take two to three weeks.
Residents will be supported to move out of their homes in the other three remaining towers blocks when they come down between 2027 and 2030. Existing residents have had the choice to either move into the other tower blocks or be found homes elsewhere locally as their homes are emptied and demolished.
Nikola Crnojevic, who lived at Winwood for 15 years, said: “I can see The Granges redevelopment being built day by day. Seeing my old home at Winwood being demolished is emotional as I have many fond memories of living there, but I am looking forward to moving into my brand new property at The Granges when it is ready.”
Alison Carpenter, Councillor for Clewer and Dedworth East Ward, added: “Watching the first of these old tower blocks coming down makes it real that residents are leaving behind old worn-out properties and can look forward to moving into brand new quality homes.
“With 413 affordable homes being built, these properties will also help meet the wider housing needs amongst the local community.”
The regeneration has been made possible by £176 million funding from Abri, including £34.4 million awarded from Homes England. The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead planning approval for the development, along with additional land transferred to Abri from the council, increased the scale of the proposed site - both allowing more homes to be built and enabled construction to start before the need to demolish the current buildings.
The first 182 homes are now well underway, with the first being delivered in early 2027.
Dasos Christou, Regional Managing Director ( South East), Abri, said:
“These four tower blocks are over sixty years old and whilst they have been great homes for our residents, their age is really starting to show. Abri is replacing them with its largest ever regeneration, The Granges, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to providing safe, warm and affordable homes.”
Martyn Lane, Project Manager at The Hill Group, remarked: “The demolition of these tower blocks marks a significant step forward in transforming Sawyers Close, making way for high-quality, sustainable homes that will better serve the community for generations to come. Together with our partners, we look forward to seeing our shared vision for The Granges come to life and creating a place residents are proud to call home.”
For more information about The Granges go to The Granges
Notes to editors
Former Winwood residents Nikola Crnojevic and Davine Bwalya, Clewer & Dedworth Ward Councillors Alison Carpenter and Helen Price, Abri's Dasos Christou and Tom Mason and Martyn Lane from The Hill Group attended the Winwood demolition photo opportunity.
Photographs from the Winwood demolition are available on request.
Media contact for Abri and Octavia enquiries
Pressoffice@abri.co.uk
@AbriGroup
About Abri
Abri exists to provide the very best homes and services we can today, whilst pursuing the ideals that make tomorrow better.
We're a large housing provider, spanning from London to Devon, Oxford to the south coast. We own and manage more than 58,000 homes and community assets and serve more than 113,000 customers.
We believe everyone has the right to a good quality safe, warm and sustainable home in a community where they can belong, grow and thrive.
Our 2026-2031 corporate strategy aims to make this a reality by giving us the confidence and ability to address today's realities while striving for tomorrow's ideals.
What does that look like?
- We aim to build a minimum of 1,000 homes a year, raising that number each year with the aim of doubling our contribution of new homes as quickly as conditions allow
- We'll create a new Home and Place standard that reflects customer experience, safety and environmental priorities, with all Abri homes meeting this standard by 2031
- We're investing more than £450m (inclusive of grant funding) into our existing homes to improve quality, affordability, safety and efficiency, and a further £161m on major regeneration projects
- We'll define a level of service that aligns with our ideals and our customers' expectations – one that's reliable, accessible and inclusive with benchmarked standards and timely responses
- We'll be a values-led, purpose driven organisation that sets the standard in good governance, robust financial resilience and social impact, trusted by customers and partners, attracting and nurturing talent.
To find out more about our services and corporate strategy, please visit our website: www.abri.co.uk
How are we doing right now?
- G1/V1 regulatory rating for Abri Group (December 2025)
- Moody's credit rating of A3 stable (December 2025)
- Record investment of £130m into existing homes (24-25)
- £261m invested into developing new homes (24-25)
- Generated £10.5m in social value, with a further £7.7m in additional community benefits for customers (24-25)
- #40 in UK's Top 100 Best Large Companies to Work For (2024)
- Investors in People Platinum
Strengthening services with a regional approach
To enhance our local presence to deliver even better services, Abri has adopted a regional model with four distinct areas, each led by local leadership. This ensures we are more visible, accountable, and closely connected to our customers and communities, enabling us to tailor support to their diverse needs.
London
On 18 December 2024, Abri welcomed Octavia Housing (Octavia) into the group. For more than 150 years Octavia has continued the pioneering work of its founder Octavia Hill, providing sustainable homes and support for people in central and West London. Octavia operates under the Abri umbrella with Mary Gibbons as Regional Managing Director.
South region
Abri's south region, led by Helen Wilson (Regional Managing Director), covers Wiltshire, Hampshire, and parts of Dorset.
South west region
Also led by Helen Wilson, the south west region spans Somerset, Bristol, Devon, and the western parts of Dorset.
South east region
Led by Dasos Christou (Regional Managing Director), the south east region covers Berkshire, Surrey, Oxfordshire, and South Buckinghamshire.